Sports Betting Blog

When you’re watching a hockey game live, the in-play live bet options are usually extremely tempting. However, going about this type of bet the wrong way could end up costing you a lot of time and money in the long run. Usually, casual bettors end up placing wagers on in-play live bets purely based on emotions or gut feelings, with little or no prior knowledge of the matchup at hand. If you’re a fan of hockey and enjoy placing in-play live bets, here are four strategies that could help you out.

Research The Game

Before the game begins, a smart bettor will always perform the appropriate due diligence in order to gain a better understanding of factors that could affect the potential outcome of the game. By taking information in about the game as well as specific player matchups, one will be less likely to be surprised by what could happen over the course of the game. Relevant information will include which players have been on a hot streak, how certain players perform when defended by certain players of the opposing team, the recent schedules of both teams, any player injuries, anticipated starting goaltender matchup, and the potential minutes allocated to each player. In this way, you’ll have a sense of which bets you’d like to make and when the opportunities arises to place such a wager during the game, you’ll have the confidence to quickly jump on the chance.

Avoid Emotions

If you’re a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins, you might be tempted to place an in-play bet on the Penguins even though they’re currently losing the game. Even though the payout for the Penguins to win at that point in time will be high (most likely higher than the pre-game odds), it will likely not be a smart move, regardless of the actual outcome of the game. What’s prudent is researching and finding out more information on how a particular team tends to play when they’re winning or losing and how much they’re winning or losing by. If a particular team tends to step it up a notch whenever they find themselves losing by one goal, it might pay off to place a live in-play bet on the team to win the game. On the other hand, if a particular team tends to loosen up and play more sloppily whenever they’re up by one goal, it might be a good idea to take the opposing team on the puck line at +1.5 goals or even to win outright.

Avoid Forcing In-Play Bets

Sometimes, when you’re watching a game, you’re prone to getting the feeling that you must place a live in-play bet during the course of the game, regardless of how the game is panning out. This mentality will surely cost you in the long run. It’s never a sound strategy to force a live in-play bet during a game – it’s perfectly acceptable to sit out on betting on a game if the game strays away from how you anticipated it to play out. By not pushing your way into placing bets, you’ll save yourself the anguish and money.

Consider Hedging Opportunities

The beauty of the live in-play betting option is that a bettor is potentially able to place a wager before the game and depending on how the game goes, the bettor will be able to place a subsequent wager during the game (hedge the original pre-game wager) and ensure a profit regardless of the outcome. For example, if you placed a bet for the Pittsburgh Penguins to win outright before the game started at a 1.80 payout and after the second period, the Penguins are winning 2-0, the payout for the opposing team, let’s say the Washington Capitals, rises to 3.00. This situation presents a hedging opportunity where you’ll be able to wager an amount on the Washington Capitals to win outright that will guarantee you a profit regardless of the outcome. If the Penguins end up winning, you’ll profit less than you would have had you not hedged the game. However, if the Capitals end up coming back to win the game, you’ll still make a modest profit and save yourself the agony of having to watch the opposing team make a drastic comeback.